If you are thinking of adding a puppy to your family working with the right breeder or shelter is an important step in making the process a smooth one. However, before you even think of taking that first step the most important thing for you to do is decide what breed suits you and your family’s life style. It does not matter if the dog is a pure bred or a pound puppy, what does matter is, will the dog fit into your family’s way of living. If you are an active family, then a dog that loves to run and play is the breed you should be looking for. If you are more or less a TV watching or computer playing type of family you need to think of a more couch potato dog.

If you are thinking of adding a puppy to your family working with the right breeder or shelter is an important step in making the process a smooth one. However, before you even think of taking that first step the most important thing for you to do is decide what breed suits you and your family’s life style. It does not matter if the dog is a pure bred or a pound puppy, what does matter is, will the dog fit into your family’s way of living. If you are an active family, then a dog that loves to run and play is the breed you should be looking for. If you are more or less a TV watching or computer playing type of family you need to think of a more couch potato dog.

Once that decision is made then you can proceed with the places to look. Locating private (rescue shelters) and public shelters is easy; a romp through the telephone book or going on line is easy. By typing your city, state and adding animal shelters you will a list of shelters in your surrounding area.

In regard to shelters, not all shelters are equal, some a well maintained and others are not. What you are looking for is a shelter that is clean, has friendly employees and is open at convenient hours including Saturdays and Sundays.

A good shelter has qualified and knowledgeable adoption counselors to answer questions and to help you find the right puppy for your lifestyle. The ASPCA has a Meet Your Match program that will help you find the dog of your dreams. You can even go on line, while you are searching, just type in the words “ASPCA Meet Your Match.”

A good shelter offers puppies that are neutered/spayed, have a microchip installed and are healthy. Some make certain the puppies have their first shots and are wormed and generally have a staff veterinarian, but some shelters use an outside vet in order to save money.

Shelters offer a variety of programs and services such as dog obedience training and animal behavior counseling. If you are lucky, some offer a low cost veterinary clinic, also.

If you are considering a purebred dog, you need to find a reputable breeder and the first place to start is the American Kennel Club national breed directory. Of course you can use word of mouth, your vet’s recommendation and/or check out breeders in your surrounding area by going on line.

There are some qualities that good breeders should possess such as not being in the business solely to make money. A good breeder is in the business because of a love for a particular breed of dog. They often specialize in one or two breeds and are knowledgeable about the breeds.

A good breeder will be able to answer all your questions and be able to determine if the breed you are looking at fits your family’s life.

You should be prepared to answer a whole lot of questions, expect to be screened and sign a written contract that if you cannot keep the puppy/dog you will return it to them. They will also require that “pet quality pups,” who will not be competing in dog shows be spayed or neutered.

A good breeder sells only healthy pups and will guarantee them for a reasonable period. A good breeder also will test the parents for common hereditary diseases.

Having a good shelter or breeder is like having a built in support system. It is something you can count on throughout your dog’s life. It is worth the time and effort to do your homework before embarking on finding that perfect puppy. And, when you find that perfect puppy you will also realize that nothing in life is perfect and you will face many ups and downs while your puppy is growing into the perfect dog for you.